I just added my third Research L3 building to my L6 corp, and was contemplating the long slog to L8 before I can add the next building.
So I got to thinking, how are others doing with their corps?
How many businesses do you have?
How many crew do you use?
Are you cross-training them in various careers or just concentrating on their primary ability?
Is anyone using store-ships, or just sticking with marauders?

As for me: my level 6 corp has 2 businesses (GSR mining, Catlow Hauling). I've got five crew,
two are mining specialists, two are haulers, and one is a manufacturing specialist.
I cross train everyone in both careers. One hauler has a new ship (express) but everyone else
is in a marauder. My manu specialist is actually becoming a mining specialist, as I've run out of
stuff to manufacture! I wish there was some consumables type stuff they could make - I've got
a half-dozen spare engines, and piles of power adaptors/armor/etc. that I'll probably never use and
don't see much reason to make more.

I am running two chars/Corps and switched both to Security (combat) offices for the loot. "Older Corp" has made Amt: 779,210 buddy loot + regular loot. One has fully researched fuel refinery and is running 4 crew in store ships (about L27). manufacture them all engines/armor etc. 2nd Corp is running 3 crew until refinery is researched better, likewise in store ships.

Only running one Office each, although planning a derelict exploration office to check that out. Each Corp has 1 Manufacture specialist who also runs combat missions (included in above totals). They and the original haulers do not seem any different from the slightly junior combat specialist.

I consider the Security/Combat offices to be the best because of the combat loot they get while I do other things.

am currently low capt. level 49. started my corp on Dec. 1. it is L2 atm. Got 1 Marauder and 1 crew = 1 Captain at L17 atm, doing Catlow Hauling only. He does earn his keep and then some as fas as credits go and gets some much interesting loot from pirate attacks which i interestingly !? do NOT get as player in my regular ship!? Often rather rare resources, whereas on my player controlled ship i get fairly common loot only. No idea why.

Could not yet get a Corp Research Facility Gen 1, so I do not earn any research points at all. Very difficult to get such a research building.
Overall I find corporation stuff way too expensive - not really worth the investment for what it yields. Starting with 5M for license .. for absolutely nothing. Power, contract buildings and everything else is absurdly expensive and hard to get or craft.

In the grand scheme of CE / conceptually I dont find corp very well thought out as is. Corp should not be set up as an "optional extra" to my CE game play and not as some other sort of aletrnative settlement ... but - as in real life - as "holding entity" for all of a players' assets in game and all ventures once a certain level is reached - capturing everything from main ship/s to resources stock to sett/s, barge/s, genesis ... really everything. Corp should be the "holding company" for player, providing unified, simple overview, control point and earnings/payments account for all in-game activities and assets. again, as in real life. You found a company/corporation once your (commercial/financial/research/trading) activities reach a certain scope and you want them to be separeted from your person and bundled up in one external entity.

Also dont like the fact that i cannot place corp HQ at my sett but only at some planet with a corporation bureau. would much prefer to have corp HQ physically close rather than burning fuel for no gain shuttling between sett and corp HQ someplace else just to send out crew on their missions.

So ... i give corp only 2 out of 10 rating in terms of effectiveness and usefulness for my CE gameplay right now. Maybe / hopefully it improves as i level up further.

Also dont like the fact that i cannot place corp HQ at my sett but only at some planet with a corporation bureau.

It is something I'm working on, the actual building is already in game but locked down. I have issues balancing due to how sets are placed in just about every corner of the game and how the offices use distance as a primary lock in. But I am working on the solution.

Coops

A Walk in the Woods helps me relax and release the tension from a hard day at the code.
The fact that I'm dragging a body behind me should be irrelevant!

I have lvl 7 corporation (and 15% of xp required for next level). Six captains, only combat office. All captains are Combat based, one do all crafting.
I buy a Ship every two-three levels. I'd love to give them PM Ships, but we can't

I'd love to run missions from any place (including expanse), current restrictions hurts me a lot.

Generally I think the corps aspect is exciting and new. As a returned plater from circa six years ago starting again, the idea of the main goal to create and run a sett was not something I looked at favourably. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there were new aspects like Corp and indeed mining barges (next project). Personally (and I may be insane) I am exploring Corp and barge before building sett and getting into expanse as these are novel.

My Corp has just been set up after the huge task of gathering the staggering amount of Rez and paying well over gbm base, but it is now up and running at level one.

Hot- if u gather the Rez I would be happy to craft the research facility for u. I have reduc mat v 4.

The only drag w corps is having to b at the hq to send on a mission. I have basically sat at my hq without doing my primary career so that I could send on missions as soon as possible. I presume that eventually there will be long enough missions so that I can fit it in w my usual gameplay. Having said that, I would likely buy a Ce store upgrade if it allowed me to send them on missions remotely. More $$ and support for Ce

Edit I do combat w my Corp for the loot and didn't listen to Coops re catlow

Yea a remote-dispatching capability would be on my "buy-it-NOW!!!" list.

Has something happened with Catlow? It used to offer a nice selection of short ( <2 hours) missions as well
as several longer (4-7 hour) missions. Now, I rarely see anything over 4 hours at all, and get tons of <1 hr missions
all the time. Highly annoying.
I recently added Dyntek (combat) office, this works like Catlow used too: large variety of time on missions.
Only 1 of my staff is in a store ship, everyone else in maruaders, so I suspect crew levelling may be
influencing this. All my staff are in the mid-to-upper 20's level now. Anyone else notice a change in the character of missions?

It should have followed those rules and as stated in that given back any planted buildings etc and removed your license. You will need to purchase a fresh license. IF you are unable to please log a bug if you have not done so already with the details of the old Corp (where, location and name).

Coops

A Walk in the Woods helps me relax and release the tension from a hard day at the code.
The fact that I'm dragging a body behind me should be irrelevant!